PeakOfPerfection
New member
I recently bought an auction lot of 1" Air Diaphragm Pumps. New in the box. Manufactured by Crane Pumps for Warren Rupp. These make monster roof cleaning pumps. They are built from rare as Unicorn Steak Hastelloy with Teflon Diaphragms, balls, and seats, so they are super chemical resistant yet mechanically super strong. If you kick one, you will break your foot.
I am Keeping a few for myself and passing the rest on to guys who want to build Ultimate roof cleaning rigs. They are in transit and will arrive this coming week. Several are reserved already. I have four still available as of this posting.
These sold new for $6000 each. I am offering them to my fellow shingle jockeys for $499 each plus shipping. A meager 91.7% off.
Some questions and answers I have received on these pumps and air setups in general...
What the Heck is Hastelloy? In Pumps designed for industrial pumping and transfer of corrosive acids and Chlorine, you have two choices for Pump fluid bodies: PVDF, also known as Kynar, a Plastic, and Hastelloy, a Nickel Alloy. Both are highly resistant to corrosion. Hastelloy is super expensive and typically only used in cost no object applications or applications where mechanical strength and chemical resistance of the pump is crucial. Cost wise, to give you an idea...a 1.5" Kynar Tee is $50. A 1.5" Hastelloy Tee is $350...seven times the price. That is why Hastelly pumps are rare.
Why go to a bigger air pump? My current 3/8" or 1/2" air pump setup works fine. One word....Reach. Big pumps setups offer reach. Reach equals money. The further your pump can reach, the more efficient you become. Less moving of ladders, less on roof repositioning to get that high peak or other section. Every time you need to reposition to reach a section, it is time wasted. Add distance and you become more efficient. You also add more options for solving common treatment issues on larger projects. The ability to stick a pinpoint nozzle on and hit that one stubborn green patch of moss or that one annoying black GM patch again from 75' away without moving is invaluable. Plus on larger walkable roof projects, like big multi family complexes, you can crank out volume, covering way more roof per hour. This equals lower labor costs, more profit.
That thing will pump a LOT of material, won't I be wasting chem? No. Even though air pumps are rated to deliver massive amounts of flow, they are also capable of being extremely material efficient since you can throttle them down to a much finer mist. I found that my material use per job has gone DOWN since upgrading to a big air setup, averaging about 10 gal per job less. And that big flow does come in handy. Need to rinse a big moss covered slab of shingles with water? Crank the flow up and get up to the peak.
Are Air Pumps Reliable? Big Air pumps like these are designed to be run reliably in high volume manufacturing environments. In roof and building cleaning operations, Air Pumps are most importantly immune to the problems electric pumps have with restricted flow/high pressure. Electric pumps don't like and are not designed to be throttled down. They are designed to operate at a set pressure and flow. Deviate from that and they switch on and off and on and off, lowering the lifespan and leading to relay failures. If you run Electric pumps and don't have a bunch of spare relays, you are nuts. That is why accumulators are used to buffer things...but ultimately, electric pumps work in a very narrow set of flow and pressure ranges. We learn to live within those limitations. Not the case with air pumps. Once you go air, an entire world of flows and pressures and capabilities opens up. Crank the flow way down at the nozzle and you don't need to worry about blowing relays or using an accumulator like on an electric. Crank the flow up to ridiculous and they don't care. Need a super fine mist? No problem. In addition, Pumps like the FB2 and Pentaflex are built with Polypropylene (FB) or Fiber Reinforced Nylon. Neither is rated for chlorine which is why you MUST rinse them. If you forget to rinse a Kynar or Hastelloy air pump....meh.
I am used to electric, isn't air difficult to set up or use? No. I ran FB electric pumps for several years and only after an ex employee went out drinking after work and totally destroyed my rig was I forced to redesign, reevaluate and get a new setup. I decided Togo air after a lot of research. Now I am seriously kicking myself for waiting. It sickens me to think of how much more money I would have made over the past few years had I built my current bigger air setup from the beginning....and that is with a 3/4" pump. My upgrade from electric to AODD was painless and very much eye opening.
Compressors are loud, isn't it obnoxious? No more so than a Lawnmower. Plus, an air pump makes a very unique sound that draws attention. You want neighbors looking out their window to see what the heck is happening across the street. Bigger compressors also tend to be quieter.
Those don't look look like normal fluid outputs, how do I hook them up? These pumps use flanged outlets. Adapting them over to NPT threaded is super easy with a PVC Sch 80 flange adapter available at any plumbing supply house or on Amazon plus some bolts, washers and Nylocks. You can also go with Kynar if you want it super chem and UV resistant. Personally, I will go PVC and PlastiDip the flanges, bolt and nut heads for UV and chem resistance.
Don't those Big Pumps need a big compressor? Yes and No. You want a big compressor to take full *advantage* of the flow and distance capability a 1" pump has. But you CAN start with a smaller contractor grade compressor then upgrade compressors as cash flow allows giving you even more distance. If you are upgrading from a smaller Air pump, a bigger pump will likely give you more flow and reach with the same air setup you have now due to it's higher Volumetric efficiency. Just compare the performance curves between a 1/2" and a 1" pump with the same CFM and notice the pressure drop needed to reach the same fluid volume.
How much more does it really flow compared to a Fatboy or Pentaflex setup? I've seen the YouTube video comparing the FB2 to the All Flo Kynar Pump. That All-Flo is a 3/8" pump, that was a comparison on the ground and not 30' up on a roof, with some head pressure built up and that was with a small compressor. Honestly, a 3/8"'pump doesn't flow that much more in that circumstance...but still does offer all the other advantages of an air pump setup. A 1" pump is a whole different ball o' wax. Even with a small contractor grade compressor, this pump will flow well over double what a FB2 electric or 3/8" Air pump will...around 12GPM vs 5GPM for a FB2 set at 60 PSI (that 7GPM spec they tout is at 100PSI and nobody runs their FB turned up that high if they want it and their battery to live). The reality is, the FB2 is a 5 GPM pump. That is at static input and output with a fully charged 12 volt battery and a flooded input... i.e no draw tube. Add in 250' of 5/8" hose, a draw tube and pull it 3 stories up and the FB2 is is going to be closer to 3.5 or 4 GPM. This pump will be about triple the flow capability and the only thing you need to do for a 12 hour long project is add more gas to your compressor and your crew. That is with a small compressor. Get a big one and it isn't even in the same universe.
I am Keeping a few for myself and passing the rest on to guys who want to build Ultimate roof cleaning rigs. They are in transit and will arrive this coming week. Several are reserved already. I have four still available as of this posting.
These sold new for $6000 each. I am offering them to my fellow shingle jockeys for $499 each plus shipping. A meager 91.7% off.
Some questions and answers I have received on these pumps and air setups in general...
What the Heck is Hastelloy? In Pumps designed for industrial pumping and transfer of corrosive acids and Chlorine, you have two choices for Pump fluid bodies: PVDF, also known as Kynar, a Plastic, and Hastelloy, a Nickel Alloy. Both are highly resistant to corrosion. Hastelloy is super expensive and typically only used in cost no object applications or applications where mechanical strength and chemical resistance of the pump is crucial. Cost wise, to give you an idea...a 1.5" Kynar Tee is $50. A 1.5" Hastelloy Tee is $350...seven times the price. That is why Hastelly pumps are rare.
Why go to a bigger air pump? My current 3/8" or 1/2" air pump setup works fine. One word....Reach. Big pumps setups offer reach. Reach equals money. The further your pump can reach, the more efficient you become. Less moving of ladders, less on roof repositioning to get that high peak or other section. Every time you need to reposition to reach a section, it is time wasted. Add distance and you become more efficient. You also add more options for solving common treatment issues on larger projects. The ability to stick a pinpoint nozzle on and hit that one stubborn green patch of moss or that one annoying black GM patch again from 75' away without moving is invaluable. Plus on larger walkable roof projects, like big multi family complexes, you can crank out volume, covering way more roof per hour. This equals lower labor costs, more profit.
That thing will pump a LOT of material, won't I be wasting chem? No. Even though air pumps are rated to deliver massive amounts of flow, they are also capable of being extremely material efficient since you can throttle them down to a much finer mist. I found that my material use per job has gone DOWN since upgrading to a big air setup, averaging about 10 gal per job less. And that big flow does come in handy. Need to rinse a big moss covered slab of shingles with water? Crank the flow up and get up to the peak.
Are Air Pumps Reliable? Big Air pumps like these are designed to be run reliably in high volume manufacturing environments. In roof and building cleaning operations, Air Pumps are most importantly immune to the problems electric pumps have with restricted flow/high pressure. Electric pumps don't like and are not designed to be throttled down. They are designed to operate at a set pressure and flow. Deviate from that and they switch on and off and on and off, lowering the lifespan and leading to relay failures. If you run Electric pumps and don't have a bunch of spare relays, you are nuts. That is why accumulators are used to buffer things...but ultimately, electric pumps work in a very narrow set of flow and pressure ranges. We learn to live within those limitations. Not the case with air pumps. Once you go air, an entire world of flows and pressures and capabilities opens up. Crank the flow way down at the nozzle and you don't need to worry about blowing relays or using an accumulator like on an electric. Crank the flow up to ridiculous and they don't care. Need a super fine mist? No problem. In addition, Pumps like the FB2 and Pentaflex are built with Polypropylene (FB) or Fiber Reinforced Nylon. Neither is rated for chlorine which is why you MUST rinse them. If you forget to rinse a Kynar or Hastelloy air pump....meh.
I am used to electric, isn't air difficult to set up or use? No. I ran FB electric pumps for several years and only after an ex employee went out drinking after work and totally destroyed my rig was I forced to redesign, reevaluate and get a new setup. I decided Togo air after a lot of research. Now I am seriously kicking myself for waiting. It sickens me to think of how much more money I would have made over the past few years had I built my current bigger air setup from the beginning....and that is with a 3/4" pump. My upgrade from electric to AODD was painless and very much eye opening.
Compressors are loud, isn't it obnoxious? No more so than a Lawnmower. Plus, an air pump makes a very unique sound that draws attention. You want neighbors looking out their window to see what the heck is happening across the street. Bigger compressors also tend to be quieter.
Those don't look look like normal fluid outputs, how do I hook them up? These pumps use flanged outlets. Adapting them over to NPT threaded is super easy with a PVC Sch 80 flange adapter available at any plumbing supply house or on Amazon plus some bolts, washers and Nylocks. You can also go with Kynar if you want it super chem and UV resistant. Personally, I will go PVC and PlastiDip the flanges, bolt and nut heads for UV and chem resistance.
Don't those Big Pumps need a big compressor? Yes and No. You want a big compressor to take full *advantage* of the flow and distance capability a 1" pump has. But you CAN start with a smaller contractor grade compressor then upgrade compressors as cash flow allows giving you even more distance. If you are upgrading from a smaller Air pump, a bigger pump will likely give you more flow and reach with the same air setup you have now due to it's higher Volumetric efficiency. Just compare the performance curves between a 1/2" and a 1" pump with the same CFM and notice the pressure drop needed to reach the same fluid volume.
How much more does it really flow compared to a Fatboy or Pentaflex setup? I've seen the YouTube video comparing the FB2 to the All Flo Kynar Pump. That All-Flo is a 3/8" pump, that was a comparison on the ground and not 30' up on a roof, with some head pressure built up and that was with a small compressor. Honestly, a 3/8"'pump doesn't flow that much more in that circumstance...but still does offer all the other advantages of an air pump setup. A 1" pump is a whole different ball o' wax. Even with a small contractor grade compressor, this pump will flow well over double what a FB2 electric or 3/8" Air pump will...around 12GPM vs 5GPM for a FB2 set at 60 PSI (that 7GPM spec they tout is at 100PSI and nobody runs their FB turned up that high if they want it and their battery to live). The reality is, the FB2 is a 5 GPM pump. That is at static input and output with a fully charged 12 volt battery and a flooded input... i.e no draw tube. Add in 250' of 5/8" hose, a draw tube and pull it 3 stories up and the FB2 is is going to be closer to 3.5 or 4 GPM. This pump will be about triple the flow capability and the only thing you need to do for a 12 hour long project is add more gas to your compressor and your crew. That is with a small compressor. Get a big one and it isn't even in the same universe.
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